About this album

The title of this album, featuring two world premieres (Grunelius and Fischer), is taken from the composition by the German pianist and composer Wilhelm von Grunelius. The inspiration for his work for flugelhorn, timpani and strings came from the poem ‘Chant d’automne’ by the French poet and art critic Charles Pierre Baudelaire (1821-1867). The use of texts is a recurring theme in this colourful programme of music for the trumpet in a variety of combinations. At the end of the final movement of his Sonata for trumpet and piano, ‘Trauermusik’, Paul Hindemith incorporates Bach’s chorale ‘Alle Menschen mussen sterben’ (BWV 634). In his Eine Deutsch-Jiddische Kantate, Iván Fischer employs texts by Avrom Sutzkever, Rainer Maria Rilke, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and others. The recording is also of particular value in view of the fact that the two world premieres of music by Grunelius and Fischer are performed by the Budapest Festival Orchestra under Iván Fischer himself, while he also conducts his own Eine Deutsch-Jiddische Kantate, with his daughter Nora Fischer as soprano soloist.

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Reviews

The album’Chant d’Automne’ contains exquisite repertoire in which we hear trumpet player Wim van Hasselt as a a versatile musician who effortlessly changes his way of playing to several compositions. n the title piece and world premiere ‘Chant d’Automne’ (by Wilhlem von Grunelius 1942) Van Hasselt shows the trumpet to be a charismatic musical instrument that proudly rises above the orchestra. In the brilliant work (and also a world premiere) ‘Eine Deutsch-Yiddish Kantate‘ by Ivan Fisher (1951) you can discover the versatility of the trumpet.

This mixed program is ambitious and rewarding thanks to the committed performances by the excellent trumpeter Wim Van Hasselt. We particularly liked to discover the short yet appealing composition Deutsch-Jiddische Kantate by Ivan Fischer.